The Future of Distance Learning - Reflection

As a student of the 80’s my experience during that time has always been experiencing the delivery of education in the traditional form of lecturing face to face. Fast forward to the present. Distance Learning is a growing force in this field of education. Many factors according to Dr. Siemens will assist in not only pushing distance learning to the forefront, but change the perception of distance learning forever.

The points that Dr. Siemens sees as changing factors in the perception of distance learning include:
• The increase of online communication
• Practical experience with new tools
• Growing sense of comfort with online discussions
• Ability to communicate with diverse and global group ( Laureate Education,2010)
As perceptions are improved, the future of distance learning will continue to advance as communication technologies develop which will incorporate the use of multimedia games and stimulations into the world of learning. This will lead to greater contributions of experts around the world extending the reach around the world.

As an instructional designer, I will be in a unique position to help improve the public’s perception of distance learning. The World Wide Web gives all learners the opportunity to see, feel, and interact with the world like never before. As an instructional designer and educator, I can bring the two worlds together to improve learning in the classroom and at home through engagement of increased online communication. This engagement not only touches students who will be future parents, but the parents themselves who may or may not have a sense of comfort for dealing with any of the tools presently being used. As students interact there will be a level of comfort that will surely take root (such as with tools such as the home computer and mobile phone) that will have an effect on distance learning for generations to come.

I hope to be a positive force in the continuous improvement in the field of distance education by continuing to research how distance learning can be accessible to all people with disabilities, especially for people who have cognitive disabilities. Although there has been great advances in improving accessibility to distance learning, there is room for greater accommodations to include all learners (WebAim, 2010).



References:

Laureate Education, Inc. (2010) The Future of Distance Education. Professor George Siemens.

WebAim (October 30, 2010) Retrieved from http://webaim.org/